Okay, but every time somebody calls me fat, I get so depressed I cut myself …a piece of cake.

Ditch the Diet

By ‘diet‘ we mean any temporary, restrictive program of eating with an end goal of losing weight.

There are many scientific studies that support the claim that dieting does not aid weight loss in the long term and ultimately leads to weight gain.

A healthy eating plan is more likely to lead to a healthy weight. Research has shown that almost 95 % of people who lose weight through a diet regime will regain the weight (and possibly more) in one to five years.

The only way I’m eating healthy is if I write ‘Healthy’ on top of this piece of cake with frosting!

Lose weight in a Week without dieting, Really?

A 5 year study by Neumark-Sztainer on adolescents and dieting assessed Body Mass Index (BMI) changes.

The research found that dieting predicted increased binge eating and decreased physical activity in these young people. The study concluded that dieting in adolescence could well lead to weight gain due to the early adoption of patterns of behaviour that are detrimental to weight management and ultimately lead to weight gain.

A fascinating study carried out on over 2,000 twins from Finland aimed to determine whether weight gain is actually caused by a genetic predisposition.

The twins were assessed at age 16, 17, 18 and 25 years and the number of diets they had undertaken at 25 years old. It was concluded that the number of diets accelerated weight gain and a dieting twin was almost 2 to 3 times more likely to become overweight than the non-dieting twin. Thus proving that dieting actually increases the likelihood of weight gain.

According to a 2006 study by Haines and Neumark-Sztainer dieting is also associated with binge eating, food preoccupation, eating when not hungry and obesity. More worryingly, a 1999 study linked dieting with eating disorders in adolescents.

I don’t mean to brag but I just finished a 14 day diet in 2 hours and 14 minutes.

Why don’t diets help you lose weight?

Diets lower energy expenditure or metabolic rate: This means the amount of calories burned (energy) each day in order for the body to carry out physical activity, including digestion, breathing, circulation and movement. In studies, low-calorie diet plans and weight loss lowered the metabolic resting rate which means fewer calories are needed to maintain weight. This means a dieter who lost weight and was 120 lbs would use less calories than somebody who has always been 120 lbs.

Diets increase insulin sensitivity: Insulin allows glucose into the body’s cells which is then used for energy. Following weight loss, glucose enters the cells whilst the fat, that ideally we want to be used for energy, goes back into storage in the cells which can lead to weight gain. In fact, research has shown that by looking at the increased insulin sensitivity it is possible to predict the amount of weight a person will regain after dieting.

Two more reasons why diets don’t work

Diets increase appetite: It appears that dieting can actually alter the part of the brain that is associated with food reward resulting in dieters feeling both hungrier and craving high calorie foods such as junk food. Furthermore, hormones that are linked with the regulation of appetite also change significantly.

Diets only address Food: There are many important and significant factors that are involved with weight loss and these include emotional feelings and behaviors, stress, exercise and muscle tone, hydration and sleep.

What do you call somebody who has abandoned their diet? A desserter!

Lose Weight in a Week: Drink plenty of Water

A single energy drink, fruit juice or light beer contains around 100 calories and sometimes more.

However, these drinks can behigh in calories but still do not satisfy hunger in the same way as food. Canned fruit drinks can also be high in sodium and carbohydrates that tend to lead to water retention making you look puffier and also leave you feeling thirsty.

Furthermore, recent medical research has shown that increasing your water intake can actually help you lose weight.

The exact mechanism behind this phenomenon is not entirely understood but it is thought that staying really well hydrated can lower the amount of calories consumed by decreasing hunger and cravings.

Water increases the metabolic rate. A 2003 study showed that drinking 500 mls of water actually increased the basal metabolic rate by 30 %. This effect was seen within 10 minutes of drinking the water and reached peak effect after 30 to 40 minutes. Therefore, if you drink 500 mls of water a day this would add up to a 400 kJ energy expenditure.

I can see the benefits I just find drinking water so dull.

Add your favourite fruit to flavour your water and eat it at the end ~ double goodness

I freeze chopped up pieces of fruit and take to work to add to my water.

How much water do I have to drink to lose weight?

It has been recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that women should be drinking around nine 8 oz glasses of water a day (this works out around 2 litres) and men around thirteen 8 oz glasses per day. Furthermore, it has been suggested by Dr. Melina Jampolis that if you drink your glass of water about 20 minutes before each meal time this will lead to you eating between 75 and 90 calories less per meal. This adds up to a huge calorie loss of between 1575 and 1890 per week. Drinking plenty of water will also help you reduce your water weight.

I think you lose weight drinking all that water because of all the extra exercise you get going to the restroom.

Lose Weight in a Week: Eliminate all white Carbohydrates

Banning all white grain products from your diet will help you slim you downbecause the refined carbohydrates in these foods cause weight gain especially around your belly.

Cutting out refined carbohydrates can be a really good way to fast weight loss, this is because eating a large amount of these carbohydrates can lead to increased hunger and cravings, causes blood sugar spikes and prevents body fat being used as fuel.

Do White Carbs really lead to Weight Gain?

Research studies have shown that there is a strong link between eating starches and refrained grains and weight gain.

White carbohydrates to avoid include breakfast cereals (okay so these are not strictly white, but think Rice Krispies) pasta, bread, chips, rice, white flour (and everything made from it such as donuts, biscuits and pastries), sweeteners and white pizza base.

You will be cutting out the carbs that lead to weight gain and on top of that one medical study has shown that whole grains actually aid weight loss.

In this 2008 study, participants who ate whole grain products lost a significantly greater amount of weight, especially around the waist (belly fat) compared to the control group who consumed an equal intake of calories but NO whole grain products.

Swap your white bread for whole grain, same goes for your flour and pasta and wait for the results!

Donuts? Why are donuts on the list? They are a 100 % fat free … well, in the middle they are.

Between the optimist and the pessimist the difference is droll, the optimist sees the donut and the pessimist the hole.

Lose Weight in a Week: Do you Really need to Exercise?

“Exercise for 30 minutes per day”

It is well known that any exercise that gets your heart rate up will also burn a few calories. However, you will use more calories if you pick up a cardio routine that uses and strengthens various muscle groups at the same time. A few excellent exercises that are big daily calorie burners are cardio kickboxing, gym workouts, spinning, skipping, swimming, cycling and boot camp exercises.

Half an hour of exercise burns around 300 to 400 calories. To all your exercise add a little >resistance training or weight training. Whilst brisk walking or jogging, for example, carry a couple of light dumbbells that suit your current weight and strength and swing your arms back and forth in rhythm. Any resistance will help you build muscle and lose weight .

If you ever see me running, you better run too because something is chasing me.

Get Weighty

“Add some light weights to all your exercise routines”

Studies have suggested that cardio training alone may not make a significant difference to weight loss for some dieters, but it is immensely beneficial to overall general health. Because resistance training builds up lean muscle it is beneficial in promoting weight loss. Muscle tissue burns calories much more efficiently than fat tissue. Ten lbs of muscle would use around 50 calories a day, whilst the same weight of fat tissue would only burn around 20 calories. Interval training is also recommended. Hence, tone your fat into muscle and lose pounds.

A 2012 study demonstrated that inactive adults will lose around 3 % to 8 % of muscle loss every 10 years. Such loss of muscle is associated with a lower metabolic rate and the accumulation of fat, which is harder to lose. After only 10 weeks of resistance training, 1.8 kg was lost in fat weight and the resting metabolic rate was higher by 7 %.

Coffee and Exercise

Drink coffee 45 minutes before Exercise

Coffee is not only a lovely beverage that many of us rely on to get us through the day and wake us up in the mornings, it is also a fat-busting drink. It is important to understand that drinking coffee is the one exception to the stick-to-water-only rule. You can take your coffee black to cut down on calories per day but a drop of skimmed milk is only around 11 calories. Caffeine, the main ingredient in coffee, is known to help release fat from the fat cells and also to increase your resting basal metabolic rate. Green tea is great for weight loss too.

Just keep talking … I don’t hear anything before my third cup of coffee anyway.

Why is Coffee linked with Weight Loss?

Caffeine, the main ingredient in coffee, is known to help release fat from the fat cells and also to increase your resting metabolic rate. Coffee also increases levels of the hormone Adrenaline which travels to the fat tissues and breaks them down for energy. Another ingredient in coffee, Chlorogenic acid, has been shown in medical research slow down the absorption of carbohydrates.

Way back in 1982 a medical study on animals looked at the effect of caffeine intake in relation to a reduction in body fat with exercise. Two groups of rats both swam for 90 minutes 5 days a week, one group took a dose of caffeine 45 minutes before the exercise. After 9 weeks the caffeine group had a 22 % of reduction in body weight and 25 % reduction in fat cell size. The study concluded that fat loss is increased with aerobic exercise when caffeine is taken beforehand.

Coffee keeps me going until it’s acceptable to drink wine.

… and now for three really quick top tips to boost your weight loss

Hook up whenever you can!

Although most people don’t really appreciate it, sex is an extremely effective form of exercise particularly if you are flexing a few muscles and increasing your heart rate. It could be that because sex is a feel good activity due to the release of endorphinsit could be that the elevated mood makes it easier to make healthier diet choices.

Does Sex Really count as Exercise?

Current medical thinking is moving much more towards the idea that short bursts of high intensity exercise are more effective than 30 to 40 minutes of jogging, for example. This makes sex the ideal workout.

Add to that the fat burning benefits and it’s a win-win situation. On average sex uses around 150 to 250 calories for every half hour of action.

Even better, for a woman on top sex burn more calories (around 300) and if you’re both standing 600 calories each. Even the plain old missionary burns around 250 calories every 10 minutes. On top of that sex is a great stress reliever and stress is linked to weight gain. So, everybody feel the love, release those feel good endorphins and get sexy with the one you love.

During sex you burn as many calories as running 5 miles.

Yes, but who can run 5 miles in 2 minutes?

Huh?

Lose Weight in a Week: Get the Right amount of Sleep

Sleep is a surprisingly important factor associated with weight loss, so make sure you sleep well. The actual amount of sleep is very important and studies have demonstrated that either too little or too much sleep is linked to an increased possibility of weight gain.

What is the ideal amount of sleep to help you lose weight?

Too little sleep (5 – 6 hours) has been shown to affect concentration as your basal metabolic rate goes into energy conservation mode and the brain compensates by craving higher calorie foods. On the other hand, over sleeping (over 9 hours) also appears to lead to weight gain. In a medical study those that slept more than 9 hours a night increased their risk of becoming obese by 21% and those that slept less than 7 hours a night by 27% .

I’m so good at sleeping, I can do it with my eyes closed.

Eat salmon for lunch

Salmon is an excellent food source that is loaded with many nutrients that tend to build muscle tone. Replacing fatty red meats and processed foods with this lean protein may reduce calorie intake overall which may well lead to weight loss – and your skin will glow too.

What did the salmon say when he swam into a wall? Damn!

Questions and Answers

There is nothing here about diets. Is it possible to lose weight within a week without dieting?

YES! You can experience rapid weight loss without dieting. Small changes to your lifestyle and diet choices will aid weight loss and will be more effective in the long term than any fad diet.

Sleep between 7 and 9 hours per night and establish a regular bedtime routine

It took a lot of will power but I’ve finally given up dieting.

Is it true that eating slowly helps weight loss?

Eating slowly helps with mindful eating whereby you become much more aware of how much you eat and the flavors of the food. Mindful eating has been described as ‘eating with intention and attention.’ Through this practice you can become more aware of any underlying emotional issues that may trigger binge eating, distracted eating and cravings.

In addition, however, a 2008 medical study examined the impact of slow and fast eating rates in 30 healthy women. This study concluded that calorie intake was indeed less when a meal was eaten more slowly, furthermore feelings of fullness after the meal were increased. So yes, slow down and enjoy every bite.

I love that answer… because what is life without cherishing every bite of that cupcake?

What is the best way to keep track of your weight loss

Keeping a track of your weight loss has been proven in several scientific studies to promote weight loss. There are many online calculators out there ranging from a simple calorie counter which can help you monitor your daily caloric intake to a fat calculatorwhich literally measures the amount of body fat you have.

One of the best wasy to calculate your weight loss is our very own weight loss percentage calculator. You simply add in your starting weight and your present weight and you will be spurred on by seeing your weight loss in percentage form. This type of calculation is useful because, if you have a lot of weight to lose, you may still have lost a good percentage of your body weight before others start noticing which is why it is used on big shows such as ‘The Biggest Loser‘.